Learning environment in Russian universities for developing researchers’ EAP writing skills

Abstract

Raising awareness of the university staff about the need to strengthen their academic writing skills in English has recently become a challenge to university administrations, EFL teachers and researchers across Russia. National research institutes, federal universities and flagship universities value researcher communication skills in English as an integral part of academic excellence, and initiate research for theory and practice of teaching EAP. The mixed methods study identified learning conditions stimulating the publishing activity of researchers through the educational context of Novosibirsk State Technical University (NSTU). It explored needs of 102 researchers before launching an in-service training course in academic writing in English and 21 course participants afterward. The results showed that to be able to write articles for leading international scientific journals the non-native English researchers require high proficiency in EAP writing, research findings of their foreign colleagues and highly-qualified language support in writing research articles in English. The research also revealed that participants in EAP in-service training courses are fully aware of the need to develop their general speaking skills as a step to EAP, and importance of relevant learning modes and activities for their success in writing articles in English. The research revealed learning conditions necessary to provide if universities are interested in stimulating the publishing activity and mainstreaming internationalization: electronic environment with full access to credible research-related resources, writing centers with a variety of EAP in-service training courses and services, highly-qualified EAP teachers experienced in publishing their research, and research collaboration of NNE and native English researchers.